Bertie Smith

 

Bertie is the famous dress designer of Dulcinea. She is widely known around the globe, she also works for the Royal Family.

Early Life
Bertie was born in Bargentia, a rich and flourishing country at that time to Jacob Smith and Melissa Smith. She was named Bertie as her face shone like stars at night, her parents always knew that their daughter is special and creative. Bertie was from a middle-class family, her mother born with a weak heart lived with her, Jacob was a trader and was enough to feed his family. Bertie watched carefully as her mother knitted her clothes.



As a little girl, she loved wearing different clothes, dressing up for fun. She was good at painting too and usually messed with colors. Bertie likes singing as well and if you notice she is usually humming, her mother taught her that, Melissa's voice was so beautiful and she used to sing most of the time, sometimes Bertie used to hide and listen to her mother.

Talent revealed
Once Melissa came back from shopping, little Bertie came running towards her holding her doll (which Melissa was sewing, it wasn't finished). Melissa couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the doll, Melissa rushed to hug her daughter, it was perfect. Bertie's true talent was revealed. Bertie told Melissa that she didn't continue sewing it for weeks so Bertie used to go by the lake and sew it so no one would see her, she told she loved doing it.

The flood
It was quite sunny in Bargentia until 17th August. Nobody was expecting a thunderstorm even though it was monsoon, it always rained lightly there. For a few days, it rained cats and dogs, and later it started to increase resulting in a flood displacing thousands of people from their home and killing a great number of people by over flooding whilst many died of pollution and poverty. It was recorded as one of the biggest floods ever occurred. The destruction was immense. Just in a little time millions of people were killed and millions were homeless. It was an extremely hard time for all Bargentians including the Smith family.

The following night passed, Melissa and her daughter waited for Jacob to come back home. Horrible thoughts were whining in Melissa's mind but she never let them come to her mouth. The homeless mother and daughter were waiting for him. Bertie used to pull Melissa's skirt asking where her father is but Melissa told her that he is on his way. Nights passed in horror, the mother's eyes full of tears but she kept silent still with hope, but there wasn't any. Bertie understood what happened she cried as she saw her mother cry. They had lost Jacob and afterward, Bertie lost Melissa.



Leaving Bertie an orphan
Many sad years passed by, Bertie was all-grown by now and had adapted to living without her mother. The flood left everything destroyed including families. Bertie had to migrate to a nearby kingdom, the kingdom of Queen Genevieve who was older than her. She worked for Mr. Brooks, an old man who treated her like a daughter. She was given shelter by him when he saw the little girl homeless. Mr. Brooks raised Bertie with great care and love, he was just like Bertie's father, Mr. Brooks had lost her daughter and knew what was like losing a loved one.

When Bertie was young and being raised by Mr. Brooks, the great day came when Princess Anneliese was born and a holiday was proclaimed. In honor of the royal baby's birth, a great feast was arranged just as the same day Erika was born. The birth brought joy to the kingdom.

In time Bertie improved in chores and also used to sew and knit clothes for him when she old enough. The tragic day finally came when Mr. Brooks was very old and was naturally ill. Bertie sat with him on his dead-bed until his last breath. He was not like her father, he was her father as he raised her. Bertie cried more than ever she cried. Bertie was very lonely.

Bertie knew that no matter what the world is not over, she lived in the house for years and took care of herself. Mr. Brook left some money for Bertie, it wasn't much but was enough for Bertie.

Bertie becomes a Seamstress
When Bertie noticed that the money won't last long, she borrowed much money from a rich lady known as Madame Carp. She was not polite to her and wanted money back by one month. It was little time and Bertie couldn't find a proper job, she had no other option but just telling Carp that she couldn't make it. Madame Carp was very rude, she forced her to accept to be a seamstress at her famous dress emporium. Bertie was treated very badly and was paid very less making her a pauper. She worked hard and made beautiful dresses but Carp was never impressed and only cared for money. Whenever a customer came, as she was two-headed pretended to be very kind to Bertie.

Years passed by, Bertie had no other option because there weren't many jobs available and Carp forced her to stay. She wanted a better life, a better job, and a friend.

Meeting Erika
Soon, Bertie's wish was finally granted. She met a young girl named Erika who had to work for Madame Carp. Erika was not all happy being a seamstress. Erika wasn't good at her work as she had no experience, Bertie was very polite to her and taught the little things she wasn't good at.



One day, they both realized they were good friends. They both started to tell their story, none of them were happy. Erika told her that her parents borrowed a lot of money from Carp so they could feed their daughter, soon they died and she has to pay off her parents' debt, she was determined to do it and wanted to live a better life. Bertie told her her story too. They felt very close to each other.

Bertie is Erika's good friend
After realizing that their stories were the same, Bertie and Erika's friendship started to grow. Whenever Erika was tired, Bertie let her go out and have some fresh air and covered the work for her without telling Madame Carp, sometimes Erika used to see Bertie hungry, she let her eat her lunch. When Carp used to scold them as usual, Erika and Bertie used to make faces at her and had a hard time not laughing when Carp was around. When they were free, they used to go window-shopping and telling what they like.

Bertie loved listening to Erika when she has sung, it reminded for her mother, it looked more like Melissa was singing and because of that tears used to come from her eyes. She told Erika that when she was young, she also liked to sing. Bertie knew how Erika felt, Erika knew what Bertie felt.

How Erika felt about Princess Anneliese
Many months passed by, nothing changed, the emporium didn't change (famous as ever before) neither did Carp so everything was perfectly normal on that so sunny day. Like always, Bertie allowed her dear friend Erika to go out so she could raise some money for herself by singing beautifully and so she could cover for her. Later, Madame Carp returned to the shop as she was busy elsewhere. When Carp realized what happened, furious went to search for Erika, though Bertie didn't tell her anything Carp why Erika was out, Bertie had a nagging feeling that Madame Carp knew.

After a little time which was long enough for poor Bertie, Erika, and her cat Wolfie with a grinning contended Carp. Erika was smiling and for the very first time, it was quite hard for Bertie to guess why she was smiling like something big just happened. That time Bertie thought that Erika maybe raised enough money for a double helping but her reply was exactly "no", but when Bertie gave up Erika told her that when she was singing, she earned quite a lot money but Carp rudely took the money away, at that time Bertie's face was red as a tomato but Erika calmed her down and told that she met a princess, the very only Princess Anneliese and by their surprise, when the lifted their hoods realized that they are identical, just that Anneliese had blonde hair and crown-shaped birthmark Anneliese has on her shoulder. Erika told Bertie that they also sang together and made good friends. Unlike Carp, the Princess was very kind to her but she had to go back to the palace. Bertie was very shocked by Erika meeting a princess, at the start she thought it was a joke so she could calm down after listening to what that horrible lady did to her friend but later realized that she was serious and Bertie was proud that Erika made another friend.

To be continuted...